Interest in African safari travel continues to grow with travellers planning further in advance, spending more and increasingly travelling outside the traditional peak season, according to the State of Safari 2025 report by Go2Africa.
The report, based on internal enquiry data from 2022 to 2025, shows global safari interest increased by 14% in 2023, 12% in 2024 and a further 7% in 2025, reflecting sustained demand for safari experiences.
Search behaviour continues to follow a seasonal pattern with interest peaking between July and August, which aligns with the traditional safari high season across much of Africa.
Alongside traditional search behaviour, traveller research habits are evolving.
With the growing popularity of large language models (such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini), there is increased channel diversification, giving travellers additional research tools alongside search engines.
Within the wider travel industry, AI use, particularly ChatGPT, increased in the US from February to March 2025 and again from June to July before declining slightly later in the year.
However, the traveller profile remains largely consistent. First-time visitors accounted for 75% of enquiries while 25% were returning travellers.
Among repeat visitors, 49% had visited Africa multiple times and 51% had travelled to the continent once before.
South Africa leads demand
South Africa remains the most popular safari destination, accounting for 24% of all enquiries in 2025.
Kenya and Tanzania follow with 21% and 19% respectively, meaning the three destinations together represent 64% of total safari enquiries.
Botswana recorded the strongest growth in demand with its enquiry share rising from 7% in 2024 to 12% in 2025, likely reflecting increasing interest in high-end safari experiences.
Other destinations, including Zimbabwe (-3%), Seychelles (-2%), Namibia (-2%) and Rwanda (-1%) saw modest declines in enquiry share following strong growth in previous years.
Travellers seeking layered safari experiences
Classic wildlife experiences remain central to safari travel.
Kruger National Park accounted for 28% of enquiries while “big five” safaris represented 25%.
However, the report highlights growing demand for more varied itineraries. Beach and safari combinations and Victoria Falls each accounted for 10% of enquiries while migration safaris attracted 7%.
Experiences such as gorilla trekking and Cape Town visits each represented 5% of enquiries, reflecting interest in combining wildlife, culture and leisure within a single trip.
Longer trips and rising budgets
Safari travel patterns are also shifting in terms of duration and spending.
Trips of 10 days remain the most popular, accounting for just over 35% of enquiries. However, one-week trips declined to 22%, down from 26% in 2024.
Demand is growing for shorter trips of less than a week and longer journeys of two weeks or more, suggesting travellers are either opting for short, focused breaks or extended itineraries.
Average safari budgets continue to increase.
Average spend increased from approximately US$6 500 per person sharing in 2023 to US$7 500 in 2024, reaching US$8 625 in 2025.
Couples remain dominant traveller segment
Couples continue to dominate safari travel, accounting for 46% of enquiries.
Families represent 28% while solo travellers increased to 16%, up from 13% in 2024, indicating growing interest in independent safari travel. Travel with friends represents 10% of enquiries.
“I always find traveller-type data interesting because it’s rarely as binary as it looks on paper,” said Justin Chapman, Africa Safari Expert at Go2Africa. “In reality, many enquiries don’t fit neatly into one category. A trip might be a couple travelling with friends or a multi-generational family with extended relatives. So, while the data gives us a helpful snapshot, the nuances often emerge once we start working directly with the client and shaping the itinerary.”
Country comparison
The report also highlights strong demand from traditional source markets. The US remains the leading source of safari enquiries, followed by Australia, the UK and Canada.
In 2025, interest increased from New Zealand, Portugal and France compared to the previous year. Growth may be attributed to expanded marketing activity and increased visibility in these regions.
The top 10 sources of safari enquiries noted by Go2Africa in 2025 were:
- US
- Australia
- UK
- Canada
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Singapore
- Portugal
- India
